Hannah Harper

Hannah Harper, born Hannah Noelle Mendenhall on November 19, 1999, is an American country singer from Willow Springs, Missouri. She grew up in Southeast Missouri in a family deeply rooted in bluegrass gospel music and performed for seven years with her family’s band, The Harper Collective. In 2010, the group won the SPBGMA International Band Contest. Harper also served as a worship leader at a church in Missouri, a role that shaped her musical foundation.

Harper is a mother of three children. In 2025, she released the single “String Cheese.” The following year, she rose to national prominence as the winner of the twenty-fourth season of American Idol. During the competition, she performed faith-based covers including “At the Cross (Love Ran Red),” “Ain’t No Grave,” and “Go Rest High On That Mountain.” Her catalog also includes the song “String of Grace.”

Harper’s journey from bluegrass gospel music and church ministry to the American Idol stage reflects her deep musical roots and the influence of her faith and family life on her artistry.